This is a bird note.

Blue-gray gnat-catchers are little birds that can be hard to spot as they forage busily amid dense leaves overhead,

but they are definitely worth a closer look.

The Slim 4.5 inch blue-gray gnat-catcher is found over much of the east and mid west and in parts of the west.

It actively searches and bushes for small bugs to eat, often hovering and flaring a long black and white tail.

Blue-gray gnat-catchers feast on many kinds of insects besides gnats.

Tree hoppers, leafhoppers, aphids, spittle bugs, and weevils, not to mention spiders

and caterpillars. The biggest surprise about this tiny bird is its ability to mimic other

birds' voices. In the course of a male's long

squeaky song, he may sing samples of jays, tanagers, nut hatches, warblers, and

many other birds he's heard.

The song's variety likely helps attract a mate.

Hidden in the dense leaves, the blue-gray nap-catcher might be easy to overlook but it has its own amazing story to tell.

For Bird Note I'm Mary McCann. Bird Note gives you the sounds of birds every day and you get the sights as well when you follow

us on Instagram at Bird Note Radio.